Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,426 in South Korea versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in South Korea versus $1,550 in China.

Living in South Korea is roughly 101% more expensive than China on average.

South Korea (6% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $525 to $1,220, compared to $1,253–$1,784 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩10.8K

$2.75 ¥18.83

166.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.05 ₩64.9K

$24.03 ¥165

83.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 ₩8,448

$4.96 ¥33.95

15.52%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩5,396

$3.12 ¥21.37

17.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₩2,412

$0.48 ¥3.26

241.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,138

$0.27 ¥1.84

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ₩5,515

$0.98 ¥6.73

281.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 ₩6,894

$2.15 ¥14.69

117.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,301

$1.83 ¥12.53

22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,635

$1.68 ¥11.54

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,349

$0.91 ¥6.21

224.18%

Eggs

$3.03 ₩4,470

$1.56 ¥10.66

94.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ₩20.5K

$12.97 ¥88.9

7.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 ₩13.8K

$3.25 ¥22.23

188.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.14 ₩44.4K

$10.51 ¥72.0

186.77%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 ₩11.5K

$1.81 ¥12.41

329.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 ₩5,134

$1.30 ¥8.90

167.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩8,604

$1.50 ¥10.26

289.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩9,009

$1.15 ¥7.87

431.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,730

$0.76 ¥5.20

411.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩4,179

$0.89 ¥6.07

219.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 ₩3,554

$0.58 ¥3.97

315.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₩1,760

$0.58 ¥3.95

105.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,979

$3.50 ¥23.95

-3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 ₩23.4K

$11.55 ¥79.1

37.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₩3,025

$0.78 ¥5.31

162.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₩4,254

$1.61 ¥11.03

79.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,656

$0.44 ¥3.01

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.99 ₩69.2K

$21.15 ¥145

122.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 ₩4,842

$1.36 ¥9.35

141.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₩829

$0.36 ¥2.44

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 ₩12.9K

$6.61 ¥45.28

32.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,755

$1.13 ¥7.74

5.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.7K ₩40.8M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

40.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.2K ₩35.7M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

41.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 ₩246.2K

$50.9 ¥349

228.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.36 ₩60.9K

$10.03 ¥68.7

312.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.78 ₩32.1K

$11.33 ¥77.6

92.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 ₩76.3K

$40.13 ¥275

28.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.40 ₩28.6K

$14.97 ¥103

29.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 ₩16.5K

$6.09 ¥41.74

84.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$392 ₩577.6K

$418 ¥2,860

-6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K ₩33.3M

$17.3K ¥118.2K

30.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩85.3K

$46.40 ¥318

24.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.54 ₩70.0K

$32.92 ¥226

44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 ₩118.7K

$71.1 ¥487

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩160.6K

$72.9 ¥499

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₩920.5K

$438 ¥3,003

42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₩615.3K

$259 ¥1,775

61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 ₩2.3M

$926 ¥6,341

68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₩1.4M

$548 ¥3,754

75.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K ₩19.2M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

158.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,275 ₩12.2M

$2,666 ¥18.3K

210.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 ₩3.3M

$1,074 ¥7,357

108.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.06

3.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Korea: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $459 in South Korea, $286 in China. Capital cities: $956 in Seoul vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,973 in South Korea, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 90% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 137% higher in South Korea, giving South Korea stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Korea vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,519 in South Korea, there's a 74% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In South Korea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.